My secret diary 1973 January (i) Joining the EEC, learning how to sell cigarettes and pondering love

Dear reader. I have a sore neck and so I can only use the computer minimally at the moment. BUT - I do so want to get the January 1973 of my secret diary written up before the end of January 2012. Here than are the edited highlights from the first week or so.
16 year old, working hard at school, living with mum and dad, sister at university. Best friends with Julie and going out with first serious boyfriend, who I am worried about.

Edited highlights.
Jan 1st (Mon)
Hello 1973! Feel like crying. Mum and Norma teasing me about Rob. I wish they'd stop. Going to pictures with him tonight. Britain joined the EEC today, along with Eire and Denmark. 9 altogether. GOOD.

Jan 2nd
Sat writing this by candlelight. Why? because I feel like it! Went to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid with Rob. He's getting too serious.

Jan 3rd
Uncle Joe died just before the New Year. I didn't know him very well. There's only Fred, Emma, May, mum and Elsie left now. Don't mean to sound morbid.

Jan 4th
Went to town with Ju. Bought nail varnish and some dye for Norma. Auntie Emma came to stay (for the funeral)

Jan 5th
Today was Uncle Joe's funeral. I met my Uncle Fred for the first time. He seems nice enough but dad can't stand him Don't know why. We had Elsie, Vincent and Caroline for tea. They're all pretty nice. Rob called on his way to Brin's and asked to borrow Melanie.

Jan 6th
Bit of revision. Tonight went to Manchester Sports Guild with Rob, Ju and Dave. It was great - a folk-club-type thing. We saw Mary Asquith and the Taverners. On the train on the way home . . .*

Jan 7th
Ju stayed over and we did a lot of revision all day.

Jan 8th
Oh no - back to school on Wed. Done hardly any revision! Went to Dad's works to learn how to operate the cigarette till. Oh it's frightening!! My tooth thing that I wear a night broke, so dentist tomorrow.

Jan 9
Revised all day expect for watching TV and going to Manchester to see dentist. I don't have to wear the elastic things any more. Going to a party at Tony's next Saturday.

Jan 10
Oh back to Bloomin' school! Carried tons of books in. We didn't have Russian because it was first lesson and we had to choose monitresses. Mrs Stanton was a bit nasty. It was okay. I hope I'm not falling in love with Rob. At least getting a bit affectionate towards him.

*Commentary
Jan 6th - and then I write something secret using Russian letters, half of which I don't understand, but I can make out that it was to do with canoodling on the train. Some things must remain secret.

Alice Munro - Just abandoned reading . . . .

The View from Castle Rock by Alice Munro


5/10


Sorry - this book was recommended by a facebook friend when I was looking for Canadian authors to read, but I can't finish it. This is more my inadequacy that Alice Munro's.
She has given me such a fantastic insight into what life must have been like for the early migrants to America and Canada - how they established themselves, and the challenges they faced (and, I suppose, the different challenges of the next few generations). But I kept thinking 'what is the story here?'. I just want a novel to tell me a story, and this was more like short stories, along the theme of her family. It is an admirable book, and if I were reading it on holiday, uninterrupted by real life, I think I might appreciate it better. I don't really do short stories.